


Ill Winds Blow No Good

by Firekitten



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-16
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-05-27 03:04:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6266986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firekitten/pseuds/Firekitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was one question Asriel asked them the most.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Chalice is Only Worth as much as the Poison it Holds

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, first story posted on this site! I'm a little nervous (Read as: Extremely).
> 
> I have to say, as I was choosing the tags and warnings, some of them I'm just laughing as I choose them, thinking 'It's Undertale, with Chara as the main character. What else are you expecting?'
> 
> Well anyways, Have fun with this. Maybe. Or hate it, you know. That's cool too.

“Hey Chara, what… uh… what are humans like?”

Sewing needles clacked together like a clap of thunder. The room became silent enough that they could hear the crackle of flames from the living room and the distant pattering of their mother baking in the kitchen. Slowly, Chara turned their head, red eyes zeroing in on their sibling settled on his own bed, an open storybook in his lap.

“Why do you want to know?”

Springs creaked as Asriel shifted on the mattress, looking back down at his book. “Well, you don’t talk about it much. The surface, that is.” He started to flip the edge of the page nervously, never actually turning it. “Is it because you don’t want us to feel bad? I mean, I know the Underground is a lot different than where you came from; I mean you guys have the sun and the stars and tons of cool stuff, so I bet it’s really great. It must be really hard not to talk about it. But, if you think talking about it will make me jealous or sad anything, you don’t have to worry about it. I want you to be able to tell me anything, ‘cause we’re friends!”

Completely dumbfounded, Chara could only laugh hysterically. It made Asriel look at them in that concerned, ‘you’re not entirely well’ way that they’d grown too used to to be fazed by it anymore. But they just couldn’t stop. It was just too funny.

Was this kid for real?

“Yeah,” They snorted once they’d finally calmed. Their smile felt too big ( _‘Little girls like you should smile Chara. People will do nice things for a pretty girl if she smiles.’_ ) and wrong and turned their brother’s ‘not well’ expression up to a level seven. If it got to ten, he’d go get mom, so they tried to pull it back some as they continued, breathless and low, “Yeah. We got stars and the sun and looots of cool stuff. So much, you wouldn’t even be able to believe it! You know what else we got?”

They raised their needles upwards, like an accusatory finger. “We’ve got people. And you know what people do?” Their friend shook his head; they’d have to teach him the idea of rhetorical questions later. “They hurt others because it’s fun! There’s always a war going on somewhere, killing hundreds of other people just because they want to take what they have or didn’t like what they said.  They cut down entire forests, endangering or wiping out all these animals because they want more _cool stuff_ to make. And every day, there’s a new story on the TV about who ran over the guy just trying to cross the street or the dead body found thrown in a dumpster in some alley. But you know what their favorite thing to do is?”

At least this time Asriel had the sense not to shake his head. Chara lent forward like they were about the share the biggest secret. “They like to hurt kids. Because they know there’s nothing you can do about it. Adults are super strong. So you can’t fight back. And if they don’t hit you, then they just yell really awful things at you all the time. And if you don’t do everything they say, then they get real mean and take stuff away from you. Like yours toys. Or dinner. And even if you talk about what’s going on, no one believes you. And you get punished more because you tried to tattle.”

Though they trailed off, the goat monster didn’t speak up, head low and eyes trained on the pattern of his bedsheets instead, expression slightly hidden behind his ear. Chara could only tell he was frowning. They scoffed, voice sharp as they spoke, “All you need to know is humans are bad. And don’t forget it, okay?”

“But you’re not bad.” Asriel said in a tiny whisper.

Chara turned back to the yarn they were trying to make into a sweater and pretended not to hear.

* * *

Chara gripped the edges of the stained pot their mom had found for them like a lifeline as they vomited into it. Their fingers trembled too much, so they settled a clammy forehead against the bent lip to help balance the tableware. They kept heaving long after there was nothing left, stomach muscles shuddering weakly with the effort.

Once the worst of it had finally passed, they shakily placed the pot back on the floor, unsure if the sight of the blackened liquid within pleased or disgusted them. They rested back against their pillows, moving slowly onto their side. Their stomach didn’t roil so much that way – because while this was all going according to plan, throwing up every few minutes was still decidedly not fun.

They were just starting to doze when the sound of the bedroom door clicking closed snapped them back into alertness. It took them a few moments to focus on Asriel as he came over, hands resting nervously over his pockets in a way that wasn’t inconspicuous at all.

“Stop looking like you did something bad. Mom’ll get suspicious. What’s she gonna say if she figures out you’ve been giving me these?” Chara rasped, every word feeling like needles on their throat.

“But I am doing something bad!” Asriel replied, the edges of his eyes wet. “I deserve to get in trouble.”

It was probably the fever that made them almost burst out what a lie that was and the only bad kid was the one convincing their best friend to commit murder. Instead, their breath got caught funny in their lungs and left them coughing.

At least they were already suffering their punishment.

They reached out, placing a hand on their sibling’s shoulder. “It only seems bad, As’. We’re doing a good thing, freeing everyone. That’s what a prince does right? Look out for his people?”

“I… yeah…” The goat monster sniffled, rubbing his snout against his arm. “Chara… when we get there, what will the humans be like?”

They sighed. “Asriel.”

His little claws clicked as he tapped them against the metal of his matching BFF locket, intervening quickly, “I-I mean, I know you said they weren’t very good but… what if there are more people like you?”

Chara almost laughed. God help all of monsterkind if there was. “Asriel.” They repeated, more firmly. When their brother looked up, they said, “We only need six, remember? And I know exactly which six are the worst of them all. Just think, even though they did all those bad things, their last act will actually be something really good.” It was more than any of them deserved. “After that, no one else has to get hurt. Mom and Dad’ll take care of all the hard things from there and y – _we’ll_ – be heroes. Just like the ones I told you about on the TV. And heroes always do the right thing, right?”

“Right.” Their sibling nodded, ears bouncing. His eyes were still wobbly but the uncertainty had faded.

Good. “Door?” They murmured.

“I locked it.” Asriel answered.

Chara nodded and pat the bed, where a bushel of buttercups was soon laid. They pinched at the corner of the petals, feeling the slight sting where the skin under their nails had reddened with sores. They chewed and swallowed the flowers down, one by one. Asriel withdrew to his side of the room, getting under the covers so only his snout poked through, like Chara was the boogeyman he had to hide from.

(He was probably right.)

Since he couldn’t see, they allowed the tears to come as their mouth and throat burned.

* * *

_‘What are they going to be like?’_ The voice was faint and full of fear.

Taller than they were used to, Chara had to duck as they made their way to the mouth of the cave, able to see the light of the opening ahead. “They’ll be terrible.” They spoke, the voice that came out deep and rumbling in a way theirs never had been before. It reminded them a bit of dad’s and that made them feel proud. “But don’t worry, when they see us, they’ll be too scared to do anything.”

Asriel shivered, whimpering, _‘ **I** feel too scared.’_

 “Stay determined.” Chara chanted, the words recalled from a strong presence at their bedside that unknowingly encouraged them to swallow down yet another handful of poison. “Look Asriel. This is what we’ll be giving everyone.”

They stepped out into the light and for a moment, Chara felt breathless. The sun was warm on their fur and the forest spread before them, the colors vibrant in full springtime bloom. Jagged mountains cut the sky like daggers, stone sides speckled with more green. The sky was a gentle, pale blue, little wisps of clouds drifting above.

_‘It’s beautiful.’_ He whispered, the sudden flood of warmth within their shared being elating them and Chara felt sure than ever. This couldn’t be wrong; making someone _this_ happy could never be wrong.

“And just think how everyone else will feel when they get to see it too. Mom and dad. All our friends.”

_‘… Just six right?’_

“Just six.” They echoed, though with all this power they never had before against too many enemies to count, they knew Asriel would forgive them if they didn’t quite keep that promise. “Let’s go.”

Their fingers tightened around their own limp and empty body and they started to descend Mt. Ebott.


	2. If All You Have is a Knife, Everything Looks Like a Vegetable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Title of this chapter based off of the proverb: If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail
> 
> So originally this was not a two-chapter story but, it just made more sense to break it up. The work itself was not long so, here. Have the final piece!

Chara awoke suddenly and as they stared at the ceiling of their room (was it orange-y than usual?), they wondered if it had all been just a terrible dream.

And then their body sat up without any conscious thought from them and they started to think they were still in it.

When they would later step over their own mother’s ashes, toy knife locked at their side instead of in their gut where it belonged, they knew for sure it was not a dream, but a nightmare they could not end.

* * *

Perhaps, Chara thought as Papyrus faded away, final words spent assuring he still believed in them, this was actually hell and this was the only appropriate sentence the devil could think to give them.

* * *

It was at LV 10 that Chara started to piece everything together (Too late, much too late. How many had they murdered? Chara had lost track). This body was not theirs and though they had been granted front access passes to the forefront of this other one’s brain, they had neither control over the limbs nor did they get answers when they called for the other to – “Stop, listen! What the hell do you think you’re doing to my home!?”

There was never a response.

Another thing they realized was this body was that of a human’s and as they watched them slay down Shyren, they couldn’t say they were surprised. This was what they always told Asriel, wasn’t it? Eager, hopeful Asriel, who came from such a good place he could never imagine anyone couldn’t be loving and generous like everyone in the Underground was.

Well, maybe he knew it now (and that’s their fault, isn’t it?).

Time had passed since then, though Chara was a bit unclear how much. Doggo had been an energetic puppy eager for pats not a near-blind old dog. In fact, a lot of the other monsters they encountered they had either never met or realized with sudden, nostalgic clarity that they had known them as kids. Not that it mattered when they were slowly being wiped out by this maniac that was tromping through the area _intentionally_ looking for things to kill, deaf to the pleas in the back of their mind begging them to spare, show mercy, please!

And as they trailed the dust of the singing fish, one more LV strong, Chara felt more trapped and powerless than ever before.

* * *

It was just after killing Muffet that something changed.

“ _Don’t!_ ” Chara cried.

The boot that had been lifted to crush the solitary mourning flower stopped. After a moment, the foot shifted away and without a second look back, they moved on.

“What? Now you can hear me?” They called. No response. “Hey! Answer me!”

Nothing.

Had it been a fluke? Coincidence?

“Turn around.” They ordered. Not even a twitch. Wrath-fueled energy surged inside of them and they started to chant, louder and more furious: “Turn around. Turn around, turn around, _TURN AROUND!_ ”

The human paused and for the barest hint of the second, they looked over their shoulder. Then they shook their head, like trying to clear a buzzing by their ear, and kept walking.

Chara held onto that feeling and continued to yell commands.

“Go left!”

“Floor 1!”

“Run away!”

“Go back!”

The other kid never said a word in return, but every so often, they would halt and turn or hit the wrong button in the elevator or hum in annoyance that was out of place enough that Chara knew it was no trick. When they got to LV 15, they noticed a slight increase in the erratic behaviors and realized while their enemy was gaining strength, they were also feeding it straight to them as well.

They weren’t strong enough yet to make the other stop entirely. Not even to save anyone yet. But a horrible thought occurred to them.

If they got more LV, could they get enough to save those that were left? Even just one?

* * *

At LV 19, they found their suggestions had enough pull to guide the other around their old home while the flower they had seen what felt like ages ago started to pop up and talk to them, telling them some story about how they woke up in the castle garden. Chara ignored him even when he called their name.

(Was that why they woke up? Because they and this kid shared a name?)

As they searched for the gate keys, Chara was struck with an acute painful familiarity as they stepped in their room. Their old flower drawing was hung up on the wall with a thumb tack, the rainbow star that was Asriel’s judgement of ‘excellence’ still visible in the corner. All their and Asriel’s toys were lying forgotten in the toy chest, grayed from dust. The picture frame of their family they looked at often in those final days still pointed towards their bed.

Found on the bookcase’s edge, right where they left them, they forced the other kid to put on the heart locket Asriel gave them and set aside the gun for their gardening dagger. As they stepped onto the veranda, the castle in sight, Chara thought maybe if dad saw them and thought this kid stole one of his dead child’s things, he’d stop them before it was too late.

The flower was still talking, popping up every few feet to continue their tale, talking about load files and everything they did with the strange time warp power they had had. Chara mostly tuned them out, instead focusing on the link they felt with their parasitic host. It felt odd, like sloshing through water and feeling what might be a slimy tendril of seaweed or just more water, and struggled to grab hold of it.

“Chara. There’s just one thing left I want to do. Let’s finish what we started. Let’s free everyone. Then…”

What?! Chara’s grasp on the tie loosened. It slipped away unnoticed as they instead fixated back onto the world around them, only to mentally jerk away from the twisted face grinning back at them.

“Let’s see what humanity is REALLY like!”

As he kept speaking though, it all clicked into place. The mannerisms, the way of speaking, even the voice itself. No matter how many scary faces he pulled (they used to play that game together; they knew all of his tricks) or how many awful things he said (learnt from _them_ ; had they really turned him into this?) or how many unanswered questions there was, Chara had no doubts.

Even the lame name gave it away. Flowey. _Really?_

“Asriel. You’re alive!” They cried though their lips didn’t move and their brother didn’t hear. He just kept rambling about how great the surface would be together but Chara didn’t care. It was him, he was here!

“After all, creatures like us wouldn’t hesitate to KILL each other if we got in each other’s way.”

Everything tipped suddenly as apprehension overcame them. Asriel was here, right next to this homicidal murderer because he thought they were Chara!

_He was going to die because of them again._

“So that’s… So… That’s…”

“Asriel! Asriel get away!” Chara yelled, watching their friend shrink back stem shivering as the other one stalked after him, pulling out the knife. They searched for the bond and despair filled them. It was gone. “Don’t you dare touch him!”

“What are you doing?! B-Back off!” He dug under the ground, popping up again two meters away. “I-I’ve changed my mind about all this! This isn’t a good idea!”

Chara struggled without control in the literal nothingness they resided in, scrabbling around desperately for the link as they shouted over and over. “Stop, stop, stop!”

They weren’t sure if they managed to come through or if it was just luck, but after shrieking at them some more, Asriel was able to bury himself back into the ground and get away. Relief and exhaustion filled them and they curled up inside of the other. They wanted a break. They couldn’t handle much more of this alone.

In the welcoming hall, a familiar face grinned at them.

“Heya.”

Chara hoped he gave them hell.

* * *

LV 20, and the only thing Chara had to show for it was a fleeting, bitter victory gained by sparing Sans one single, solitary time that only led to a quick, raw death.

Now they were ascending the steps to the main hall. Chara was throwing themselves into every alcove of their prison that they could, crying at the top of their non-existent lungs every order they could think of. “Go back! Turn around! Back to the hall!”

“Shut up.” A voice, the kid’s voice, responded.

Chara didn’t let the shock waver their control as they doubled their efforts. “Never! Turn around! Around, around, AROUND!”

“Shut up!” And then they started running. Chara’s heart plummeted as they entered the throne room and a monster that took up a fourth of the room alone turned slowly.

“You must be the one the flower just warned me about.”

“Dad…” They croaked out, unheard. “Dad, dad, please… please just get away. Run away!”

“Now, now. There’s no need to fight.” Asgore didn’t flinch back as the other started to walk forward, crushing the golden blossoms underfoot mercilessly where they tread. “Why don’t we settle this over a nice cup of tea?”

“DON’T!” Chara was pretty sure, had their body been real, their vocal cords would have just split from the force of that yell.

It didn’t stop the knife from coming down. Soon, their dad’s ashes were scattered over the flowers (at least he got to be laid across the things he loved), and like a cruel irony, Asriel was back. “See? I never betrayed you!”

“No, no, no, no, no!” They repeated as their brother pleaded, seeing the red glint of the knife as it caught the light the torches. Chara slammed themselves against the walls, screamed with all their might, tore at the barriers keeping them locked back.

“ ** _ASRIEL!_** ”

They felt the tendril they had lost just as the blade sliced their sibling in half. Agony more acute than their own death filled them – _everything, everything, it was all gone, their family was **dead** and they had done nothing but failfailfail like always, like always; never a hero, only (“- a worthless demon child sent to make my life Hell! I pray every day you’ll just go back there and never come back!”)_ – and Chara gripped onto the link and _yanked_. The power of Determination and Violence flowed into them like a tidal wave, familiar from time that was long ago but not so long for them, and they welcomed it.

It was easy to accept a home they had lived in almost all their life.

When they opened their eyes, they found themselves facing the ruthless human they been imprisoned within all this time. The human who murdered their family. The human who destroyed the homes of countless innocents. The human who forced them to watch it all without any remorse, even long after they had discovered they were not alone.

Perhaps it was because of the LV or perhaps it was just because that was who they were, but the urge to _hurt back_ was irresistible.

So Chara stepped forward to meet them and smiled. “Greetings.”

* * *

“Hey, Chara,” The child said aloud, the inflection of their tone bright and full of curious wonder. “What are humans like?”

Chara opened their eyes, seeing their creation, a whirlwind of red spirals, splitting apart the very fabric of reality, rushing forward to overtake it’s maker as well ( _Third time’s the charm, eh?_ ) _._ A wide grin spread across their lips. Tears slipped down their face. “They’re nothing now.”

They shut their eyes as the wave reached them. “We can finally rest. Goodbye, Asriel.”

The destruction swallowed them and everything went black.


End file.
